Daphne's Secret Admirer
by Kristen3
Summary: Daphne receives a rose with an anonymous note. The sender turns out to be the last person she expected.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing. Please don't sue! :) Thanks again to Leigh Ann (Pen name leighann415) for her feedback and ideas. Also a huge thanks to Andrea (Pen name iloveromance) for writing "The Nervosa Matchmaker," which helped inspire this story. Hope you like it, Andrea!

_I__ can't believe I just did that_, Niles Crane thought as he hung up the phone. He had just called a local florist and ordered a single long-stemmed rose to be delivered to his brother's apartment, along with a printed note. But, of course, they weren't for his brother. They were for Daphne, his father's physical therapist. Niles had been in love with her for four years now, ever since he'd first laid eyes on her. Now that he and his wife had begun divorce proceedings, Niles felt it was finally time to make his move. Incredibly, he hadn't even discussed his plan with his brother. Niles knew that Frasier would only try to talk him out of approaching Daphne. He had simply made up his mind once and for all.

Meanwhile, Daphne was at her wits' end. She'd just spent the last half-hour arguing with Mr. Crane over doing his exercises. These arguments occurred almost daily, but it seemed even more frustrating today. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that she and her boyfriend, Joe, had been having some problems, too. Daphne was anxious for Joe to make a commitment to her, but Joe had other ideas. Just when she was wondering how this day could possibly get any worse, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Daphne said. "And don't you try sneaking off in to the kitchen, old man!" As usual, Martin rolled his eyes. She was about to say something more when the bell rang again. "I'm coming. Hold your bloody horses!" she yelled to whoever was at the door. With a sigh, she walked to the door and opened it. To her surprise, a deliveryman was standing there. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm looking for a Miss Daphne Moon," said the man.

She managed a smile. "I'm Daphne Moon."

"Then these are for you," the man said, handing her a single rose and a card.

"Oh, I bet this is me boyfriend's way of apologizing for the row we had last night," Daphne said as she took them. All her anger and frustration had vanished entirely. She quickly took some money from her purse to tip the deliveryman. Only after he left did she examine the card that had come with the rose. "Well...this is certainly odd," Daphne remarked after reading the card.

"What's it say?" Martin asked, glad she was momentarily distracted from their argument. She handed him the card. Martin took it and saw that it said, _Daphne - Meet me at Nervosa tomorrow at 3:00. I'll be waiting for you. Yours Truly, "Mr. Darcy." _"What's this 'Mr. Darcy' thing supposed to mean?"

"Oh, it's a character in me favorite Jane Austen novel," Daphne replied.

Martin could tell by the look on her face and her slightly dreamy sigh that she thought this whole idea was terribly romantic. "You're not actually thinking of going, are you?" he asked.

"Of course I am," she replied. "I have to see who me mystery man is. Unless, of course, this really _is_ Joe's way of apologizing."

Martin looked at her as if she were completely out of her mind. "You've got to be kidding me. This guy could be some kind of psycho, or a murderer for all you know!"

Daphne scoffed. "Oh, you're only saying that because you were with the police department. I know what I'm doing."

"Daphne, I'm serious. I've seen women end up dead over stuff like this!"

"That sort of thing only happens in the movies," Daphne said. "It's just a cup of coffee at Nervosa. What harm could it be?" She saw that Martin was about to offer another rebuttal. "Oh, give it a rest, old man. I know you're just stalling so you can avoid doing your exercises. Let's just get it over with."


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours later, Frasier returned from work. "Hi, Dad, Daphne. How was your day?"

Martin shrugged. "Watched TV, did my exercises, played with Eddie. In other words, just another day."

"_I _certainly had an eventful day today, Dr. Crane." She pointed to a vase on the dining table that now contained the rose. "I've got a date for coffee tomorrow at Nervosa," she explained. The expression on her face said that she was on cloud nine.

Frasier looked at the flower, confused. "Is this from Joe?" he asked. He found it hard to believe Daphne's contractor boyfriend would do something like that.

"Actually, I'm not sure who it's from," Daphne replied as she showed him the card. "But isn't it exciting?"

Frasier shot Martin a shocked look. "Daphne, would you mind taking Eddie out for a walk?" 

"Your father and I already took Eddie for his walk earlier," Daphne replied. She sensed that Dr. Crane wasn't really concerned about Eddie's welfare. "But perhaps an extra walk wouldn't hurt him." She grabbed the leash and called for the dog. A minute later, both she and Eddie were gone.

"You realize who sent this, don't you?" Frasier asked as soon as he and his father were alone.

Martin shrugged. "It could've been anybody. I told her the guy could turn out to be a nutcase, and she shouldn't go."

"Dad, it's no nutcase. This has to be from Niles!"

Martin looked at his son. "I know he's been interested in her, but you really think _Niles_ sent her that?"

"Of course I do. Don't you think it's strange that this rose arrives just after he and Maris filed for divorce?"

Martin thought about it. It certainly seemed possible. "That's good, then, right?" he asked.

"No, Dad, it is _not_ good! What if she goes down to to that café tomorrow and breaks his heart?"

Martin scoffed. "Daphne wouldn't do that. She's been walking on air ever since she got that note."

"He's just had his heart ripped out by Maris. The last thing he needs right now is another rejection!"

Martin got up from his recliner and walked over to where Frasier stood. "If your brother sent her that note – and we still don't know for sure it was even him – then that means he's finally letting go of Maris and taking a step toward happiness. Don't you _want_ your brother to be happy?"

"Of course I do, Dad. But -"

"Then stay the hell out of it!" Martin exclaimed. "Look, I know you _think_ you know what's best for Niles. But this could be a good thing for him _and_ for Daphne. So, for once in your life, keep your mouth shut!" With that, he took his cane and walked off to his room.

As Daphne walked Eddie, she continued to think about the mysterious rose. At first, she'd been convinced it was from Joe. But now, she was starting to have doubts. _Why wouldn't he sign his real name_, she wondered. She noticed she had inadvertently walked straight to Nervosa. She couldn't resist looking in the window. Was her mystery man in the café now? Had she ever seen him there before? If so, why hadn't he ever come out and told her how felt directly? It seemed the more she thought about it, the more questions she had. The next day couldn't come fast enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Frasier lay awake in bed, thinking over what his father had said. None of it was particularly new, but it still bothered him. How was he supposed to just sit by and watch Niles get his heart ripped out _again_? Ever since they were kids, Frasier had felt the need to protect his younger brother. He still regretted not being around when Niles had planned to marry Maris. Maybe if he'd been here instead of in Boston, he could've talked his brother out of that disastrous marriage. But this time, maybe he _could_ stop Niles from suffering more unnecessary pain.

Although he had only gotten a couple hours' sleep, Frasier got up and went to Niles' office first thing the next morning. He somehow managed to slip out of the apartment without his father or Daphne asking any questions about where he was going. When he got to the office, Niles' secretary informed Frasier that his brother didn't have any patients scheduled for the next hour. Upon hearing that, Frasier walked right into Niles' office without even knocking.

"Frasier!" Niles exclaimed, as he looked up from the file he'd been working on. "What brings you here so early? I didn't miss a squash game, did I?"

"No," Frasier said. There was an edge to his voice. "You sent Daphne that rose, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Niles replied. But before he could say anything more, he reached over and grabbed a tissue from the box of Kleenex he kept on his desk.

"Niles, give it up!" Frasier said. "We both know you're lying."

Niles sighed. He shouldn't have expected Frasier to be fooled. "OK, I did. Are you happy now?"

"How could you do something so stupid?" Frasier could practically feel his blood pressure elevating.

"I really don't think this is any of your business," Niles replied, doing his best to keep his cool.

"She has a _boyfriend_, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Daphne told me the other day that things with her and Joe haven't been going well lately," Niles said. "And I truly believe I can give her more than he can."

Frasier looked around the office. The many paintings and knickknacks were a clear indication of Niles' wealth. "Yes, I'm sure you can." The comment was loaded with sarcasm.

"I don't see what you hope to accomplish here, Frasier. What's done is done." Niles turned his attention back to his notes, hoping his brother would get the hint.

Frasier sighed. "Dad told me to stay out of this whole thing with you and Daphne. But I just got through watching Maris walk all over you. I couldn't sit by and let you make another mistake."

"I'm a big boy now. I know what I'm doing." Niles saw that his brother was still unconvinced. "I'm just going to meet her for coffee at Nervosa. Once I tell her how I feel, she can make her own decision. I'm not looking for anything more than that."

Frasier opened his mouth, then sighed and closed it again. He could see he was getting nowhere. "I hope you do know what you're doing," he finally said. "I really do." With that, he turned and walked out.


	4. Chapter 4

As Daphne was preparing breakfast for herself and Martin, she commented, "Dr. Crane was certainly in a hurry this morning."

"Oh, he was probably going to talk to Niles about something," Martin replied. _After I specifically told him not to_, he thought. Sometimes there was just no talking to Frasier when he had an idea in his head. _At least I _tried_ to talk some sense into him._

"I know you don't approve of me going to Nervosa by meself to meet whoever sent me that rose, but do you think you and Eddie could entertain yourselves here while I'm out?" Daphne asked.

Martin nodded. "Listen...about what I said yesterday about it being some psycho, I kind of overreacted a little. I guess when you've spent as much time at crime scenes as I have, you start to think anybody could be an ax murderer."

Daphne reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Aw, that's all right," she said. "I know you were only trying to look out for me."

"I'm glad you understand. And I hope it works out for you," Martin replied. He was slightly uncomfortable with this sort of conversation, but he thought it was important to let Daphne know he was on her side.

"Thank you, Mr. Crane," Daphne said. Before Martin could stop her, she got up and walked over to him. "That means an awful lot to me." She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

"All right, all right," Martin said, pushing her away. This obvious display of emotion was more than he'd expected, even from Daphne. "Can we just eat breakfast now?"

Later that afternoon, Daphne was trying to decide what to wear for her date. It was difficult to know how to dress, when she didn't even really know who she was meeting. She looked at several of her dresses, but decided they were too formal for a place like Nervosa. _If Roz wasn't visiting her family in Wisconsin, she'd probably know just what I should wear_, she thought with a sigh. In the end, she decided on a brand-new pink sweater and a pair of slacks. But, at the last minute, she decided she needed something more. Reaching into her jewelery box, she found a pair of earrings. She had gotten them on her last birthday from Dr. Crane's brother. As she put them on, she couldn't help thinking about the problems he and his wife had been having lately. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't understand how Mrs. Crane could let a man like Dr. Crane go. _I guess some women don't know how lucky they are_, she thought as she emerged from her room.

When she walked out to the living room, she announced, "If you don't need anything else, I'll just be on me way."

Martin looked her over and nodded approvingly. "All right, Daph. Eddie and I will be fine. Have fun."

She thanked him and started towards the door. But Eddie began following her, as if he expected to go with her. When she noticed this, she bent down and began to pet him. "Oh, don't worry, Eddie. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Unless, of course, I meet the love of me life and decide to elope." She laughed.

"You can't do that!" Martin exclaimed. "Who would take care of me?"

Daphne rolled her eyes as she walked out. "Oh, you'd manage, old man."


	5. Chapter 5

Niles chose a seat facing the door of the coffeeshop. He just hoped Frasier hadn't somehow talked Daphne out of coming. But he was fairly certain his brother wouldn't do a thing like that, even if he were tempted. Niles felt his pulse quicken as the time on his watch neared 3:00. There really was no turning back now. He looked up and saw her enter. For a second, he forgot to breathe.

Daphne looked around the familiar café, hoping someone would be waving toward her. But there was no one. Surely her mystery man hadn't forgotten the time. _More likely, he got cold feet_, she thought. To her utter relief, she saw Dr. Crane sitting alone at a table. At least she wouldn't have to stand there pathetically searching the room for her non-existent date. She approached his table. "Hello, Dr. Crane! I didn't expect to see you here."

Niles stood. "Daphne." He wanted to say something more, but the sight of her was making it difficult for him to think clearly. Suddenly, this whole rendezvous was sounding like an incredibly stupid idea. How could he ever tell her how he felt, when he could barely speak? And why had he chosen Nervosa, anyway? It was certainly a familiar setting for both of them, but hardly an appropriate place for a conversation of this sort. "It's nice to see you," he finally added.

"Are you all right? You seem a little nervous." Dr. Crane seemed to be very uncomfortable for some reason. Usually he was polite, and quite eager to talk to her.

"Yes, I'm fine," Niles replied. "Would you like to sit down?" He went around the table to pull the chair out.

"Thank you," she said as she sat, amazed at his thoughtfulness. "I suppose you know why I'm here."

"Yes..." Niles said hesitantly. _She _does _know I was the one! _Maybe the situation wasn't so hopeless after all.

"So, your brother told you about the rose, then?" she asked. She wondered if they ever made a move without consulting one another.

"Oh...yes," he said. He tried to nonchalantly cover his nose in case it began to bleed. Just like that, the rush of hope he'd had was gone.

"Well, here I am, expecting to meet me mystery man, and he didn't even show up. I guess maybe your father was right. I should never have come." She sighed, wondering if she should just go home. It didn't seem fair to dump her problems on Dr. Crane, when he clearly had trouble of his own.

Niles saw that she was about to get up. "Daphne, please...stay."

"No," she replied. "I think I'd rather just go back to your brother's, and forget this whole thing ever happened." She'd never felt so embarrassed in her life.

Niles saw how distraught she was, and knew he had to come clean. He couldn't let her think she'd been rejected. "Frasier didn't tell me about the rose. I know about it because I was the one who sent it."

Daphne looked at Dr. Crane. "You don't have to do this. I know when I've been stood up." She couldn't believe he would make up something so ridiculous just to spare her feelings.

"I mean it," Niles said emphatically. "I did send that rose. I know it was stupid to use a false name, but I just didn't know what else to do."

She looked at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. Suddenly, a memory came to her. She and Dr. Crane were on the dance floor at the Snow Ball. "Daphne, I adore you," he'd said. At the time, she thought it was just a way to show off in front of a room full of snobs. But maybe, just _maybe_, it wasn't.

Niles saw she still wasn't convinced. "I knew _Pride and Prejudice_ was one of your favorite books."

"It is," she said, smiling. He did always seem to notice things about her that no one else did. "But...why...?" She didn't even really know to ask the question.

Without giving himself time to reconsider, he said, "Daphne, I've loved you since the first time I saw you." He felt as if he'd just stepped off the edge of a cliff.

Daphne blushed. "You can't mean that." Her head was spinning. Was this really happening?

"Yes. I do."

"I don't know what to say," Daphne blurted out.

"I know this must be a lot for you to take in."

It certainly was. "You know you're like family to me. You, your brother, and your father."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Niles said. But it was clear she already knew that.

Daphne blushed again. "I...think I'm going to need some time to think."

Niles smiled. At least it wasn't a flat-out rejection. "I understand. Take all the time you need."

"I'm glad you understand. You'd think, with me powers, I'd have seen this coming. But I didn't see it at all." She still couldn't quite believe this was happening.

"I've been dying to tell you this for so long. I didn't want to do it so suddenly, but I couldn't let you think you'd been stood up." He was so relieved that his feelings were out in the open now. And even better, she hadn't immediately turned him down.

"Thank you," she replied. "You've always been so kind to me." She reached over and touched his arm.

Niles felt as if his arm were on pins and needles. "It was nothing," he said when he finally was able to speak.

Daphne looked into his eyes for a long moment. It made her heart begin to beat faster. "I...should probably be going. I'm sure your father's waiting for me," she said, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Oh...all right," Niles replied, clearly sad to see her leave. But he knew she probably wanted to be alone so she could think about what he'd said. "Do you want me to walk you back to Frasier's?"

"No," Daphne said quickly. "I can get there meself."

"All right, then," he said. He wanted to ask when he might see her again, but was afraid of what she would say.

Daphne sensed that Dr. Crane wanted to see her again, but she didn't know what to say. "I'm sure...we'll be seeing each other soon," she said. "At your brother's, I mean."


	6. Chapter 6

When Daphne arrived back at home, her thoughts were still racing. She wasn't 100% sure that Dr. Crane meant what he said, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that he did. In the four years she'd known him, she couldn't remember a time when he'd ever been less than truthful. Still, the idea of him being in love with someone like her was hard to imagine. Things like that just didn't happen. Except in her romance novels, of course.

She walked in the door to the Crane's apartment to find Mr. Crane still sitting in his chair, exactly as she'd left him. As soon as she entered, he muted the TV. "How'd it go?" he asked.

"Well, I don't rightly know where to begin," she answered. "It seems that me mystery man is...Dr. Crane." It sounded strange to hear herself say the words. "He says he's in love with me." Mr. Crane didn't flinch, or seem to be surprised by the news in the slightest. "Wait a minute. You knew, didn't you?"

Martin shrugged. "Well, it's been kind of obvious for a while now."

"For heaven's sake, why didn't anyone bother to say anything to me?" Daphne asked. Now, not only was Dr. Crane apparently in love with her, but she was the last one to hear about it.

"Frase and I figured Niles would tell you how he felt when he was ready," Martin replied. He could tell Daphne was still in shock over Niles' revelation.

"Oh. Well, I guess he was ready today, then," Daphne said. She didn't have time right now to be upset over being kept in the dark. First she had to figure out what on earth she was supposed to do with news like this. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in me room." She began to walk back to the hallway that led to her bedroom.

Before she'd gotten there, the door opened again, and Frasier walked in. As soon as he saw the look on Daphne's face, he was alarmed. "Daphne, what's wrong?" He remembered about the rose. "It was Niles, wasn't it?"

Daphne nodded. She tried to speak, but nothing seemed to come out.

"I know you must be in shock," Frasier said. He wished he could do something for her. "If you want to talk...I'm listening," he said with a slight smile.

Martin looked over at his son and rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane," Daphne replied. "But I think I need to do some thinking first."

Frasier nodded. As much as he believed in talking one's problems out, he also knew there were times when that wasn't the best idea. "If you change your mind, you know where my room is," he said.

"Thanks," Daphne said again. Suddenly, she walked over and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll keep that in mind." Without another word, she walked off to her room.


	7. Chapter 7

When Daphne entered her room and shut the door behind her, her eyes went straight to her nightstand. On it were two photographs. One was of her and Joe, taken when they'd gone to a carnival together. They were both smiling, but things had changed since the photo was taken. The other photo was of Daphne and Dr. Crane. It was taken the night of the Snow Ball. Daphne smiled as she picked it up. That had been one of the most unforgettable nights of her life. It was amazing how, just by putting on a red dress and a bit of makeup, she'd convinced everyone at the ball that she belonged in Dr. Crane's upper-class world. And he had treated her like a queen that night. She thought back on the times she'd been out with Joe. Even when things were going well between them, she'd never felt the the way she did the night of the Snow Ball. And, the way things were between them now, there didn't seem to be much reason to stay in the relationship. That left her with only one choice. She sighed as she picked up her cellphone and began to dial Joe's number. She waited for him to pick up. "I think we need to talk," she said.

Niles paced around his living room, reliving the conversation he'd had with Daphne at the café. He could hardly believe he'd finally found the courage to tell her how he felt. But of course, now came the hardest part: waiting for her to make up her mind. He knew he couldn't rush her. The decision had to come from her, whenever she was ready. In the meantime, he needed to relax. But every time he sat down, he would immediately begin pacing again. He needed to talk to someone, and of course that meant one thing: he had to call Frasier.

"I just came home to find Daphne in tears," Frasier said upon answering the phone in his bedroom. "What on earth did you say to her?"

Niles quickly gave his brother a run-down of his meeting with Daphne.

"I see," Frasier said. "I suppose an apology is in order. I just thought you were setting yourself up for more pain and rejection."

"Don't apologize yet," Niles replied. "It's driving me crazy, wondering what Daphne will do, now that she knows. Here I've spent all these years just wishing I could tell her how I felt. I never even thought about what would happen after!"

"Now, Niles, calm down. You've just given Daphne a huge bombshell. She needs time to process it."

"I know. You're right," Niles said. "But what if she rejects me? Maybe I should've waited. Maybe I should have -"

"Niles, get a hold of yourself!"

Frasier's forceful words seemed to have been just the thing to calm Niles down. He was just about to thank his brother when the doorbell rang. "I'll call you back later. There's someone at the door." Niles hung up the phone, wondering who could be at the door. It was most likely one of his neighbors. Several of the women in the building seemed to take every opportunity to see him. They served as a reminder of why he was glad Maris was finally out of his life.

Niles sighed as he began to open the door, bracing himself for whoever it was. But, to his complete surprise, he found himself face to face with Daphne. He tried his best to hide his excitement. "Hello," he said, motioning for her to come in.

Daphne stepped into the apartment. "I wanted you to know, I've just broken up with Joe."

Niles tried to act as if this news were merely interesting, rather than completely thrilling. "Really?"

She nodded. "Do you remember last year, when we went to that ball together?"

Niles grinned. "Of course. It was one of the greatest nights of my life. How could you think I would forget?"

Daphne blushed. "I feel the same way. I just can't believe you really felt that way about me, when I didn't even know a thing about it."

"It's true," Niles said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"I believe you," Daphne said, still blushing a bit from his kiss. She wasn't used to treatment like this, especially not from a man like Dr. Crane.

"I'm glad you finally realized I was telling the truth. I could never lie about something like that. Not to you." He put his arms around her.

Daphne was speechless for a moment. Then she asked hesitantly, "So, where do we go from here?"

Several thoughts ran through Niles' mind, none of which could be shared with Daphne. "Well, I think a very good place to start would be for you to call me Niles."

"All right then, _Niles_," Daphne said with a smile.

Niles sighed. He didn't think there could be a better sound than Daphne finally calling him by name, and meaning it.

**THE END**


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